Vikram Seth

An Equal Music

NY: Broadway Books, 1999
 [And several other editions in five languages]

In his Author's Note to this novel, Vikram Seth says "Music to me is
dearer even than speech." From the author at least nine books, including
several volumes of poetry, this is a strong statement.  The title of "An
Equal Music" is from Donne and here is applied to Bach's Art of Fugue,
which figures in the story, as do several other fugues.  The various
themes of the novel could be said to chase one another fugally, as in
music, but I am not going to try to work that out here.

For most readers, the main theme will be identified as one of romantic
love, the development of which takes a kind of Jane Austen-like turn,
though one she would not have approved of.  I will not spoil it with
any kind of description, though it involves a full elaboration of memory,
longing and desire, unfolding in London, Vienna and Venice.  The account
of Venice will bring that back for anyone who has been there.

However, the real central theme, perhaps, is the strong interaction
between the playing of music and a musician's life, as lived and remembered
by a second violinist in a quartet.  These associations go both ways,
influencing the way his life unfolds as well as affecting his interest
and ability in playing certain works.  Some of the associations prove
stronger than the man.

Other important themes of the novel include the interaction, musical and
personal, among the members of the quartet, and with others they play
with, on occasion.  The details of their rehearsals include a great deal
of discussion of musical and personal matters, some of which is funny.
Musical works they discuss include quartets by Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert
and Brahms; a trio by Beethoven that later became his rather obscure Op.
104 quintet; the Trout and String Quintet of Schubert.  There is much
discussion of instruments and their ranges, much scurrying for alternatives
when those ranges happen to be insufficient for proposed repertoire,
including a visit to an instrument maker and borrowing from other
musicians.  There is also an auction of instruments.  The valuable 18th
century instrument played by the narrator has been on longstanding loan
to him from a benevolent former teacher and looms large in the story,
as does the negative influence of a less sympathetic, subsequent teacher
on the violinist's professional development.

A major narrative theme in a very minor key is the onset of deafness for
one of the musicians in the story.  Seth's preparation for writing about
this included interviews with a percussionist, a pianist and a string
player-none named-who "live in the zones that lie at the intersection
of the world of soundlessness with those of heard, of mis-heard, of
half-heard and of imagined sound."

Seth writes well.  He is particularly skilled at dialogue.  He describes
powerful feelings effectively.  His evocation of place is also strong.
I have a strong inclination to start reading this novel again from the
top immediately.  That almost never happens to me.

Jim Tobin